Sex and gender definitely matter as we age. Older women and men tend to suffer similar illnesses, but in different forms and at different rates. Sadly, there remain huge gaps in our knowledge of why these differences exist. This is, in part, because clinical studies in some areas still tend to focus on men only. Also, there is still little research being done on how important social determinants of health affect older women and men differently. And finally, researchers often simply ignore older people in general when gathering data. For example, most international studies on issues such as violence and HIV/AIDS do not gather statistics on people over 50. For these reasons and others, aging women’s health is still emerging as an area of knowledge. In that light, we offer here the best of what we have found.

Aging: An Overview

Contesting Aging and LossEdited by Janice Graham and Peter Stephenson, University of Toronto Press, 2010Discusses how the stereotyping of older people as being “in decline” is a more serious problem than many other problems. Advocates for programs that address the social determinants of healthy aging and social inclusion throughout our lives.

Women’s Life Expectancy: Not so HALE and hearty?

Women live longer than men, but are less healthy, as a whole, in their later years. When we look at “healthy life expectancy” or HALE – expected years of life “in full health” – we find that women suffer more serious chronic disease and disability near the end of their lives.

Mortality, Life and Healthy Expectancy of Canadian WomenBy Marie DesMeules, Douglas Manuel and Robert Cho, from: Women's Health Surveillance Report, Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2003Examines the causes of death in Canada for women compared with men, and the differences in life expectancies.

Social and Economic Costs of Aging

Health in older age, as when we are younger, is deeply interconnected with social and economic issues. This is a particular issue for women, who experience poverty in larger numbers than men do. Women with disabilities and women who are victims of abuse or racism face added health stresses as they age. Women abuse substances less often than men, but have more accidents as a result of their abuse. And finally, caregiving is also a gendered health issue, and not only for those on the receiving end of care. Women worldwide tend to be the caregivers, even while elderly and themselves in poor health.

Abuse of Older WomenCanadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse, 2004Primer on the abuse of older women, comparing the higher incidence of abuse against older women than against older men, and discussing the different forms of abuse they experience.

Alcohol and the ElderlyInternational Center for Alcohol PoliciesOne of a series of online resources discussing alcohol research, offering a gendered look at alcohol use among the elderly.

Vulnerable Communities

Ageways 75: Focus on Older WomenHelp Age International, Issue 75, July 2010 Discusses the poor health and other impacts of discrimination on older women in the developing world, while highlighting their abilities and contributions; for example, their caregiving for family members with AIDS and for their orphaned children. Scroll down the page to find the resource.

The Challenges of Change: The Midlife Health Needs of Women with DisabilitiesBy Marina Morrow with the Midlife Health Needs of Women with Disabilities Advisory Committee, British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health and DAWN Canada, 2000Discusses the interconnections between menopause, disability and aging through interviews with women with disabilities and chronic illnesses, and their caregivers.

Caregivers and Caregiving

Women, Gender and Unpaid Care‑givingBy Jennifer Bernier and Barbara Clow, in Rising to the Challenge:Sex‑ and gender‑based analysis for health planning, policy and research in Canada, pp. 80-85 , Atlantic Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, 2009 Shows, through an examination of the gendered dimensions of unpaid care‑giving, that gender stereotypes, roles, and expectations play a large part in who provides care, the type of care that is provided as well as the economic and health implications of providing care.

A Place to Call HomeEdited by Pat Armstrong, Madeline Boscoe, Barbara Clow, Karen Grant, Margaret Haworth-Brockman, Beth Jackson, Ann Pederson, Morgan Seeley, and Jane Springer, Fernwood Publishing, 2009Envisions alternative forms of long-term, residential care that account for the fact that the overwhelming majority of both residents and providers are women.

Medication Use among Senior CanadiansBy Pamela L. Ramage-Morin, Statistics Canada, 2009Examines medication use among the elderly using both sex and age disaggregated data, finding that older women are more likely than older men to use medication.

OsteoporosisNational Women’s Health Network, 2008Looks critically at the evidence about osteoporosis and at the pressure exerted on older women to take medication to prevent osteoporosis.

Memory Loss and Dementia

Dementia among Seniors By Gerry Hill, William Forbes, Joan Lindsay and Ian McDowell, Statistics Canada, 1996Study that finds the total expectation of life for women is 26% greater than that for men, but women's expectations of life with dementia and of life in institutions are more than twice the corresponding expectations for men.

Mental Health

Social Isolation among Seniors: An Emerging IssueChildren’s, Women’s and Seniors Health Branch, British Columbia Ministry of Health, 2004Study that says it may be misleading to view gender as a risk factor for social isolation among older people, and suggests that the stigma associated with loneliness is stronger for men and may result in them being less likely to report feeling lonely than women.